The 3rd Refresher Course 2014 on Media Studies and Governance started today on 10thJanuary and will continue till 31st January 2015

4th Day (15/01/14)

1st Lecture byDr Savi Sawarkar on Art as Expression

The speaker talked about the role of art in expressing. He then talked about his own personal experiences as a Dalit that he experienced and perceived. Then he giving the examples of his own artworks he showed the plight of the Dalit women and their caste as a whole had to suffer in the hands of the higher castes of India. He specifically talked about the issues of Maharashtra from which he belonged. He spoke about the philosophy that B. R. Ambedkar propounded. He spoke about how socially and economically the Dalits were exploited by the upper castes. The plight of the dalit women in the Indian society according to him is very pathetic. He ended his lectures by saying that the issues are now being raised and slowly by education the condition is improving.

2nd Lecture by Dr. Suresh K Verma on Indian Radio

Mr Verma talked about the different types of radio broadcasting in India. He specifically talked about the radio broadcasting done by all India Radio. He also talked about the different aspects of production of radio programmes in India, especially in AIR. To eulogise that fact he conducted an exercise among the participants. In the exercise the participants were made to understand the various processes of radio broadcasting. The importance of script, voice modulation etc. was made to understand to the participants through the exercise.

3rd Lecture by Lion Koenig: The Image of Nationhood: Case of France and India

Dr Koenig talked about the importance of Image in imagining Nationhood. He took two examples, one of India and another of France. He took the example of Bharat Mata and that of Mari Anne of France. He traced the histories how these two images have developed over a period of time. He stated a glaring difference that Bharat Mata was not institutionalised where as Marrie Anne was. Another difference that he found was that Bharat Mata was increasingly seen under religious connotations whereas Marie Anne is not.

He also highlighted the current plight of the Bharat Mata, that since Bharat Mata was not institutionalised the Right Wing Fringe Groups have been able to appropriate it whereas in case on Marie-Anne that could be done by the groups in France as it was already institutionalised.